Bernhoft, Sun Rai

[SOUL GONE SOLO] The bigger the band, the bigger the bill. Norwegian soul singer Bernhoft knows this all too well. Though he toured successfully with his previous groups, Span and Explicit Lyrics, Bernhoft went bankrupt on tour with an eight-piece backing band, even after Ceramik City Chronicles, his solo debut, found success across Europe. Venues couldn’t afford him, and vice-versa. His solution was to grab a loop pedal and take center stage with his silky, ardent voice, trademark blond pompadour and just a few instruments, delicately layering one atop the other. The resulting sound is so smooth, it’s easy to close your eyes and imagine some quartet from the 1930s has been transported to the present, given a couple Stevie Wonder albums to listen to in the green room and thrown onstage.